Source: google.com via Cindi- on Pinterest

A Girl Has Got To Do, What A Girl Has Got To Do

What is it in a woman that makes her have the need to move furniture around? Rearrange it, oh, maybe once a year. I must confess I am just one of those "kinds"of women. There probably is a physiological term or syndrome for this. If so I have it big time.
I was just sitting there this morning after my quite- time and sipping my third cuppa-o-jo and it came to me....yes, the urge to change the arrangement of my living room. Maybe it was the caffeine talking but I just; couldn’t deny the impulse to get up and start the procedure.
Mind you there are a series of steps that are involved in tackling the job by oneself. There is propping up (which takes considerable amount of strength) to move the huge Oriental rug, then the need to balance out the lighting system. I like to make sure that the view out the windows is at its most effective position. When its summer I want to make sure I can enjoy my window boxes inside as well. Then I must think about my husband and his chair and make sure he will be happy; After all he resides here too. I like to have a nice flow in and through and around too.
Half way into the foolishness; I find myself talking out loud; "Self, what the heck were you thinking. You not only will need to clean and wipe down all the new spaces but you probably will need a chiropractor besides”. Then after a couple of miss-tries and working up a sweat I sit back and take it all in and hope I like it and if I don't then I say to myself, “give it a couple of days" Then I walk away from it with my fingers crossed, convincing myself this is the best way ever.; But if Larry doesn't like I will put it all back...with his help of-course...

Three Gringos and a Dog

I was too exhausted to be excited when the voice over the intercom informed us that we would soon be landing in Lisbon. My head was still stuck in packing mode and fare wells and the mixture of all sorts of, "what if's", to even care. The fact that there was “no turning back” was now a reality as I stepped into the unknown trying not to act lost.
My first concern was to see if and how our beloved cocker spaniel had survived the trip, when much to my surprise, I heard her above all the noises of the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal and long line at the custom booths. I could hear her barking with the anxiety level that signaled stress! We followed her frantic sounds toward the direction of the luggage conveyer belt where she (in a now up side kennel) circled around almost teetering off. Needless to say she was drawing a crowd. Later I came to understand why; besides the noise factor echoing throughout terminal from our pooch; pure bred dogs were a novelty and domestic animals were not exactly the norm in the Portuguese culture, unless they were a working canine. Hunting, herding, and guarding were common but it was a rarity to see dogs come through as luggage. Divine providence though,

after of all the ruckus caused by our pooch, it helped in expediting the cranky canine's release as well as our own. So they waved our entire luggage through manual inspection enabling us to make our way towards the exit doors and fresh air without any delay.
So there we stood, like the proverbial foreigners that we were, trying to see if anyone looked like a missionary and designated driver. We had not met him so we were clueless as to what he looked like and hoped he would figure out who we were.
And he did, and with no problem at all, why you might ask, as much as I pride myself in couture we definitely stood out amongst the European people, three gringos dressed in pastel colors and a dog. And, note to self,the weather in the month of April is anything but warm. We were freezing!
…thus began the first day of the next twenty-four years of our lives in the country of Portugal...

Give in to Me-Leighton Meester and Garrett Hedlund(with LYRICS)

Rustic Peach Cake,

Combine:
1 cup a.p. flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Mix until light:
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
8 T unsalted butter, softened

Add:
2 large eggs
2 T sour cream (or whole milk)
1 t vanilla extract

Then add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix on low until just combined. Pour into greased and floured cake pan.

For peaches:
peel, pit and slice 2 medium peaches and toss with 1/4 c sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon then arrange in a circular pattern around the edge and in the middle of cake.
(*Tip: scattering some chopped, dried apricots or peaches over the batter before arranging the fresh peaches on top will soak up the excess peach juice and eliminate a soggy cake top, but this is kind of fancy and is optional.)

Bake @ 350 for about 35-40 min. I used a 9-in cake pan, but you could use a spring-form or any kind of cake pan for this.

Once upon a time, there was this Princess dog named Sofie Marie. Like most princesses she had everything her Royal Highnie would ever desire.  A mistress that loved her very much.  Both sets of Grand- mistresses that did too.  All her canine cousins of her kingdom regarded her as the fairest in the land. Her dear, little sister, Princess Victoria Josephine, loved her most of all..

She was always groomed with the latest of "foo-foo" style.  Had many of the o' couture, canine fashions. The most wonderful yard and forest to explore and rocks to climb.  Oh, and squeaky toys and tiny tennis balls .  Her bed was of the finest fleece and animal- printed coordinating duvet where she would slumber all day and early in the cold winter nights. In the summer she enjoyed long boat rides on a beautiful mountain lake...she loved pointing her noise to the wind and barking out greetings to Mr. and Mrs. Loon or at the other dogs that came from the city to spend the summer in her kingdom. One would think that she didn't need anything at all.  For hunger and thirst were never present in her life she had more then enough of all the comfort and love from one and all. 

   Ah, but there was one thing that she most wanted and it was forbidden territory and highly frowned upon for such a fair princess to even THINK about such a place. This place was called, "Le'Gar-Bage".  Oh, but the temptation at times was so great yes, even this princess who lacked nothing, would find herself drawn to it's tempting aromas.  She didn't care if she would dirty herself with the grease and grim and stinky things. She didn't care if she would drive  her Mistress to despair, no, all she cared about was to be able to dig and hunt and tear and spread anything and everything all over the floor.  To her it was so much fun and and so delicious she did not stop to think of what would or could happen.  This was so unbecoming for Princess and a very hard lesson her majesty to learn and obey.

One chilly, autumn, night the Mistress and her husband decided to get in the white chariot with wheels and journey to

her most favorite grand people of all. Victoria Josephine came too but Sofie Marie knew she was the favorite and decided to spend most of her time one of their laps.

Sofie Marie and Victoria Josephine, raced into the house.  They did their usual greetings throughout the house setting up a ruckus as usual too.   

 Princess Sofie claimed her favorite spot which was on Grand-masters lap.  The mistress and her little sister spent their time with Grand-mistress.

Unbeknown-st to everyone else Sofie decided to sneak into the kitchen to where the beloved Le'Gar-bage was kept.

Her highly bred princess nose began to search for something delectable to eat.  And she found it!

She ate and ate tore and tore until her royal belly was as round as could be.

Now the Mistress took one look at her and knew that that royal belly was a bit too round and the foo foo beard a bit too greasy and followed the trail to the mess. After a scolding and a quick washing of her mouth they went home and settled down for the night.

Well everyone but the the Princess Sofie Marie, for her stomach began to rumble and rumble and gurgle and gurgle...and she felt sick all over. Day after day for four days later her royal highnie was not well.

It was then decided that she must go to the hospital and the Doctor Vet. hooked her up to an I.V. because after he took her X-ray they saw that that royal round belly was stopped up with a CORN COB....this was corking up the Princess royal intestines.  Doctor Vet. scolded the princess too and and after two days and nights and the threat of surgery...Sofie Marie the Princess dog was finally feeling her self again.

Now every one in the kingdom hopes that Sofie Marie will have learned her lesson that Le' Gar-bage' is not the place to find food...

and she and her little sister lived happily ever after. 

R.I.P.

Rest in Peace, Gimpy.